Iconic report label Mushroom, based by the Godfather of Australian music, the late Michael Gudinski, is gearing as much as have fun its 50th anniversary.
For the following 9 months, they will be “making noise”.
Not solely will there be a gentle launch of latest recordings of iconic Mushroom Group singles – the primary is a canopy of The Church basic Underneath the Milky Means – Melbourne will host a “once-in-a-lifetime” live performance with a star-studded line-up of artists in November.
Previous, current and future
Gudinski, who began engaged on plans for Mushroom’s 50th birthday celebrations 5 years in the past, died in 2021.
He left an enormous legacy, launching the careers of artists together with Kylie Minogue, Archie Roach, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Hunters and Collectors and Skyhooks, Cut up Enz and The Fashions… and so many extra.
Ed Sheeran, who packed Melbourne’s MCG with greater than 200,000 individuals over two concert events, thought-about Gudinski a detailed buddy and mentor all through the formative levels of his profession.
Gudinski’s son Matt grew to become Mushroom’s chief government after his father’s dying.
It is in his DNA, he grew up round music and from the age of 17 watched his father develop the enterprise into a bunch of 25 music and leisure corporations that employed 250 individuals in all aspects of the enterprise, together with touring, reserving, artist administration, report labels and music publishing.
Matt Gudinski was in good firm at a gathering at The Espy in St Kilda this week to launch the 50th celebrations, the place he spoke about his “huge plans” to commemorate the milestone.
Barnsey was there, Vika and Linda, and singer and former Hunters and Collectors frontman Mark Seymour.
“So many wonderful individuals and artists have fashioned a part of our story and this anniversary is about celebrating our historical past and future,” he mentioned.
What is the plan?
To start with, 50 re-imagined Mushroom hits shall be lined by “a number of the finest artists on this planet”.
“Every artist is bringing their very own distinct sound and imaginative and prescient to their cowl,” Gudinski mentioned.
Kicking off the sequence is one among Mushroom’s most profitable bands and one among Australia’s greatest musical exports of the final 15 years.
With over one billion streams, a million album gross sales, and platinum success throughout Australia, the US and the UK, The Temper Trap launched their tackle the 1988 ARIA Single Of The 12 months and high 30 Billboard hit within the US, Underneath The Milky Means.
Over the approaching weeks, Missy Higgins, Bliss n Eso, and Australian icon Paul Kelly, amongst greater than 40 others, will launch an epic music, leading to a Mushrooms 50 album.
The documentary
Subsequent up is a feature-length documentary to be launched in cinemas throughout Australia later this yr.
It’ll look again on Michael Gudinski’s profession and the affect he had on Australian music and tradition.
Born to Russian immigrants, Gudinski died all of a sudden aged 68, forsaking his spouse Sue, son Matt, daughter Kate, and two grandchildren. It despatched the music world into mourning.
The documentary will retrace Gudinski’s early profession, particularly the historic 1970s Sunbury Rock Competition years.
As a teen, he and a mate trucked in and bought watermelons and Gudinski was quickly a stage supervisor and supervisor of a number of bands on the invoice, in keeping with Rolling Stone journal.
Gudinski then based Mushroom Data and Mushroom Music Publishing in Melbourne in 1972 and launched his first album in April 1973, Sunbury 1973, The Nice Australian Rock Competition – the primary Australian triple album.
It did not take lengthy for Mushroom to make a big affect on the Australian music scene.
By the mid ’70s, Mushroom was on the epicenter of a “seismic shift” in the best way Australians interacted with music and reside leisure, and issues have been by no means the identical.
“I’ve toured the world for the final 50 years and by no means met a greater promoter,” says legendary US rock singer, Bruce Springsteen.
Jimmy Barnes instructed the Herald Sun: “Michael handled each act like they have been his infants. Mushroom is household.” Seymour echoed these sentiments.
And at last, the mega live performance
Mushroom has not launched the lineup of stars, however Ed Sheeran may very well be again, and it guarantees to be a once-in-a-lifetime live performance slated for November this yr.
“To outlive as an unbiased music firm for 50 years by way of an business that has had so many ups and downs,” Gudinski mentioned on Wednesday, “and to be standing on our personal two ft, and nonetheless investing, creating, and growing wonderful Australian artists, is a testomony to the foundations my dad put in place, and everybody who’s been part of the Mushroom journey.”
